Thursday, January 10, 2008

Phelps Signs Minor League Deal With Cards

Ken Rosenthal reports Josh Phelps - the 1st baseman who never had a chance but was overrated by most Yankees fans - has signed a minor league contract with St. Louis.
Phelps, who turns 30 on May 12, will serve mainly in a pinch-hitting role if he makes the club while also serving as a backup to first baseman Albert Pujols and third catcher.

His contract includes a major-league salary of $750,000 and $250,000 in performance bonuses, according to a major-league source.

Phelps was the Opening Day first baseman for the Yankees last season, but eventually lost time to Doug Mientkiewicz and was waived on June 12.

After getting claimed by the Pirates, Phelps batted .351 in 77 at-bats with a .463 on-base percentage and .649 slugging percentage, and did not commit an error in 22 games at first base.

Phelps put up pretty good numbers he put up in Pittsburgh, though the sample size was a mere 22 games. He certainly is able to hit and is probably adequate at first base, but he has always and will always be too inconsistent a hitter to hand a starting job. Though if he proves me wrong I will eat some crow without complaint.

He will always have a place in the heart of Yankees fans for his solo homer which sparked that six-run bottom of the ninth, capped by a walk-off homerun by Alex Rodriguez off of Joe Borowski.

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